PREPARED BY: MODI MITUL MAHESHBHAI(199) M.E.M.S.

A (2ND SEM)
Use of Large Register Files 3/28/2013

OUTLINES
Large Register File Register Window Circular Buffer Diagram Global Variable Register File Vs Cache
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Quick access of operand is desirable. Strategy is needed to store most frequently access operand into registers and reduce register-memory operations Reason to register storage Faster in operation Small Size(compared to memory and cache)

Two Strategy

Software Solution Hardware Solution

Use of Large Register Files 3/28/2013

Software solution Require compiler to allocate registers Allocate most used variables in a given time Requires sophisticated program analysis Hardware solution Have more registers Thus more variables will be in registers

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Fact Statistically, most operand references are to local scalars - 80% Local scalars cannot be accessed by other procedure(s) Problem Local changes with each procedure CALL/RETURN CALL/RETURN occurs frequently Parameters need to be passed around

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Observations Statistically, a few parameters(<6) and local variables(<6) Statistically, depth of procedure activation fluctuates within relatively narrow range(<8) Solution Multiple small sets of registers Each set is assigned to a different procedures Windows for adjacent procedures overlap to allow parameter passing

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Register Set Pointer

...

...

...

...

Set 1

set 2

set 3

set m

Three areas within a register set 1. Parameter registers 2. Local registers 3. Temporary registers
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Temporary registers from one set overlap with parameter registers from the next This allows parameter passing without moving data
Window i

Procedure i Parameter
Registers

Local Registers

Temporary Registers

CALL
RETURN

Window i+1
Local Registers Temporary Procedure i+1 Registers

Exchange of parameters

Parameter Registers

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CWP-points to window of currently active procedure

SWP-identifies window of most recently saved in memory

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When a call is made, a current window pointer is moved to show the currently active register window If all windows are in use, an interrupt is generated and the oldest window (the one furthest back in the call nesting) is saved to memory A saved window pointer indicates where the next saved windows should restore

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Global Variables are commonly accessible by all the procedures

Assign to memory locations by compiler Straight forward but inefficient for the frequently accessed global variables because of frequent memory accesses Set aside a set of Global Variable registers Available to all procedures Unified register numbering system to simplify instruction format e.g. R0 ~ R7: Global R8 ~ R13: Current window
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Large Register File

Cache

All local scalars

Recently used local scalars

Individual variables
Compiler assigned global variables Save/restore based on procedure

Blocks of memory
Recently used global variables

Save/restore based on nesting caching algorithm

Register addressing

Memory addressing
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Referencing A Register File

Referencing A Scalar Cache

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Explain strategy of Large Register File. Explain register window and its actual organization Explain the circular buffer diagram. Explain large register file Vs cache? which is better for local scalar?

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Book: Computer Organization and Architecture By William Stallings

Computer Architecture By Morris Mano.

Papers: I. A VLSI RISC by Patterson D.

II.

Implications of structured programming for machine Architecture By Tanenbaum A.

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